Celebrating Pinup Mamas: Brittany from Va Voom Vintage

This week I will be dedicating my posts to my fellow Pinup Mamas. I love celebrating (birthdays, holidays, any days lol) and I especially find joy in celebrating other people. I have been lucky to be able to connect with a few amazing Pinup Mamas who each have their own unique style as a Pinup and as well as being dedicated  mothers.

My first spotlight goes to my friend Brittany. She a stay at home mother like myself with two little munchkins. She is a dedicated wife, mother, daughter, and sister as well as a blogger, crafter, vintage enthusiast, and Classic-Vintage Pinup Model! I admire her kindness and creativity as well as the beautiful way she celebrates all her curves. She is an inspiration to me!

Her blog Va Voom Vintage is jammed packed with crafting ideas, inspirational musings, thrift store discoveries, and  vintage lifestyle techniques. I must admit its one of my favorite blogs. I highly recommend it to anyone. A true genuine doll!

Photographer: P.J. Sherman

What attracted you to the world of pinup? Why did you choose to be a classic vintage pinup?
I love the classic cheesecake pin up girls. I always thought they were beautiful and sexy without being too raunchy, you know? I've been a ham for the camera since I was a little girl. I love the chance to get dolled up so it seemed like a fun, unique hobby.

Who are your inspirations (pinup world)? 

Betty Grable- THE pin up girl. I love her bubbly personality and always try to remember Betty's great smile while I'm on set. For inspiration, I look to the pin up art of Harry Ekman, Gil Elvgren, Alberto Vargas, Rolf Armstrong and Billy De Vorss. I love that classic cheesecake! I also love Clara Bow, Jane Russel and Jayne Mansfield.

How do you manage balancing the world of motherhood and the world of pinup?

Well, I certainly would not be able to do this without my family! My husband attends as my escort because it's always scary meeting someone that you found online. He is always so helpful to photographers, moving sets, helping to carry things and of course, remaining quiet and pleasant while we're shooting. My parents and mother in law watch the kids when I have a shoot. I couldn't do any of this without them!

Being a mom and a pin up model is...interesting. I'm still nursing so I have to pump and wear heavy flow nursing pads while I'm shooting. I would be mortified if I had a leak on set! haahaa!! My daughter, Olivia loves to get into my makeup which has been problematic lately. I found a train case with a lock, which seems to do the trick. When I have a shoot scheduled, I pack my things the night before so I can focus on getting kids ready the next day.

Leah Fauller, Fauller Photography

What do you want to gain by being a pinup? (do you want to inspire, help others, self esteem..etc) Really, I started it for the sake of having fun....and my own vanity! haha! Being a stay at home mom is hard. I'm almost 26 now and my youngest is 5 months. He won't start school till I'm in my early 30's. Some days, I thought about the prospect of getting older and thinking that the only thing I've ever done is stay home with the kids. I adore my babies and being a stay at home mom is my dream job but I wanted more adult interaction. I wanted to be able to look back on my life and say I was a stay at home mom, a housewife and a vintage model. When I'm sitting at home with baby food in my hair, wearing my sweat pants and my day's big event is that I finished all of the laundry, it feels good to look at my pretty pictures and see that there's more to me than just being a mom. I want to be able to show other moms that they can be beautiful and sexy. When you're a mom, it's easy to forget to take care of yourself and modeling has made me focus a little more on me. Now, I have a job styling hair and makeup for a pin up photography with Reverie Revel. It's really fantastic because I get to make a little extra money for my family and help make other women look and feel beautiful!

What ways have you changed because of it?

I haven't been doing this very long so I don't think I've changed too much. I do make sure to not fall asleep in my makeup and I take care to moisturize and eat better! 

Being a mother is filled with daily sacrifices (as well as joys), in what ways have you sacrificed in order to become a pinup?  

Well, being away from my babies while I'm at a photo shoot is hard. I made the mistake of booking 2 photo shoots in a weekend and it seemed like I didn't see them at all for those two days. Now, it's one per weekend! Since I'm starting this pin up styling job, I'll be spending a little more time away from my family but the job will really make a difference for us, so it's worth it!

K Murray, Reverie Revel

When it comes to sexy pin up modeling, how does your husband react?

Pj's feelings and opinions are extremely important to me. There's no hobby worth hurting your marriage over! When I decided to do this, we had a long talk about it and I asked him to be frank and honest with me. Of course, he said "Why do you want me to be Frank? Don't you love me as Pj?" hehe! And then we got serious. As a pin up model, you can get into uncomfortable situations very quickly. an off-the shoulder sleeve can turn into more cleavage and more cleavage can turn into toplessness in the blink of an eye. We talked a lot about how short a skirt should be pulled up, how much boob is too much? Is underwear okay? What about swimsuits? What kinds of poses or sets are too risque?. Some photographers also require that a model removes her wedding ring. Luckily, Pj is not the jealous type and we both have the exact same ideas on these topics but they needed to be discussed. A pose with a skirt flying up to reveal frilly panties might be cute to someone but it could make a spouse feel very uncomfortable. Setting boundaries with a spouse can also help you to set boundaries with photographers later. A pin up model should consider weather or not she wants to do nudes, topless or implied nudes and where will these photos appear. How will the photos impact your family or jobs? I feel like it's always best to talk about the what-if's before they cause an issue

What advice do you have for other aspiring Pinup Mamas?
Don't be shy, get out there! Seriously, anyone can do this if they work hard and put their mind on. it. Practice poses and facial expression in the mirror and ask friends or family to take some snap shots with you till you get the hang of it. Sometimes, it can feel awkward posing with a photographer that I've just met. I just focus on that camera lens and imagine whoever you want behind it. Your best friend or your boyfriend/husband. Breathe and relax and just have fun with it. When you're relaxed, you smile naturally and look calm. Since I started, I'm really trying to focus on my weaknesses. What poses look awkward, what facial expressions or characteristics of mine I need to pay more attention to. For example, hands are very hard for me to pose and I often hunch over, causing my large bust to hide my waistline. Looking at my flaws makes each photo shoot turn out better than the last.

P.S. A tip for mom's with less-than-perfect thighs- wear sheer pantyhose under your seamed stockings. Make sure they are as close to your natural skin color as you can get. If you do any thigh shots, they make your legs look smooth and toned.

Thank you Brittany for being my first spotlight and for celebrating the joys of being both a mama and a pinup so gracefully!

xox